PRIME-5 screens for which features?

• A. Unusual experiences, superstitions, hallucinations
• B. Mood disorders
• C. Sleep disorders
• D. Substance use

Answer: (A)

PRIME-5 is a brief screening tool designed to pick up psychosis-spectrum features by asking about positive psychotic experiences. It focuses on experiences that are not typical of everyday thinking, such as unusual perceptual experiences, beliefs that others don’t share, or suspicious thoughts, which can include hallucinations and unusual or magical thinking like superstition. These elements capture early psychotic phenomena that clinicians want to identify quickly in primary care or prehospital settings so that a fuller psychiatric assessment can be pursued if needed.

This makes the option describing unusual experiences, superstition-related ideas, and hallucinations the best fit, because PRIME-5 targets psychotic symptoms rather than mood disorders, sleep problems, or substance-use issues. A quick positive screen prompts further evaluation for psychosis, rather than directing attention to other mental health domains.